HAVING put in some impressive performances in recent weeks, Jimmy Keohane earned the praise of his teammates and manager after netting his first senior goal for the club in the 2-1 win over York City.

A hard-working display from the Kilkenny-born player was rewarded in 53rd minute when he swept home Kevin Amankwaah's cross to score the winning goal for the Grecians at Bootham Crescent.

And Tisdale said there could not have been a more popular scorer.

"The whole team were delighted he got the winner because he put so much effort in," he said.

"Jimmy is a developing player and he is going to improve very quickly. He has shown an aptitude for training and improvement over the last 18 months, but now he is getting opportunities in the first team he is improving even quicker."

Exeter City took the lead at York after 14 minutes when Alex Rodman diverted a Keohane ball past his keeper Michael Ingham.

The goal was slightly against the run of play and York City deservedly levelled five minutes later when Matt Blair's shot was saved by Artur Krysiak, but parried into the path of Michael Potts who scored from close range.

York then had the better of the first-half play, with Blair and Patrick McLaughlin causing problems down the left.

But a subtle change at half-time swung the match back in City's favour.

Tisdale admitted the substitution, which saw Tommy Doherty exit for Amankwaah, was harsh on his midfielder but something he had to do.

"There were a couple of reasons for it," he said. "One is, first half, they were most potent down their left-hand side.

"That is where they got their goal from and Steve Tully was already on a yellow card.

"I just thought putting Kevin Amankwaah at right-back and putting Tully in front of him was quite a defensive strategy against their threat.

"I felt Tommy Doherty was one of our better players in the first half so it is just to remind people that you don't always take off the worst player or somebody off for punishment. "Tommy was just a victim of circumstance. It is rare, but sometimes with substitutions, you have to take off someone who is playing very, very well in order to get what you want out of the game and that is what we did on Saturday."

The substitution certainly appeared to work as City looked far more solid in the second half.

Tully and Amankwaah also linked up well to set Keohane up for his winning goal eight minutes after the break.

From then on, Exeter were the better side and Tisdale admitted it was a deserved three points.

"It was a close game. They were always in the game so it is not as if we were runaway winners," he said.

"They certainly put pressure on our goal at times, but I would like to think we deserved our win.

"We certainly put in a lot of effort and application into the game and you often get what you derserve. And I think we did."